I hightailed it out of the packhouse without sparing Vance so much as a glance and beat a path straight to the kitchen. I rummaged the pantry to find something to help right my wrong by any measure. A new box of Bisquick mix and the sticky bottle of Cane Patch syrup would be a good start since the foolproof biscuits and syrup were Pa’s favorite.

The front door opened as I slid the biscuits in the oven. “Pa, I got biscuits going. And the coffee is ready,” I called over my shoulder, hoping to butter him up, but the only answer I received was his heavy footfalls up the stairs.

By the time the crowd was settled at the table and digging into the hot biscuits, Pa still hadn’t joined us for breakfast. “Y’all save some for Pa. I’m gonna go check on him.”

“How many we gotta save him?” Boss asked, eyeing the mountain of biscuits on the platter like there wasn’t enough.

“Save him five,” I said, going with a higher number, knowing they would leave exactly how many I ordered.

Upstairs, Pa’s room was empty and the bathroom door open, eliminating the only two places up here he would be. I eased down the hall and checked each room until finding him perched on the edge of Raleigh’s bed. Through the small open crack of the door, I watched Pa pull in deep inhales from Mama’s bottle of lotion. It was a scene I’d witnessed many times over the years, but with my brother instead of Pa. Just as I’d always done for Raleigh, I backed away from the door and allowed Pa his moment to remember, to mourn, privately.

Taking charge downstairs, I put Raleigh and the younger twins on farm animal feeding duty. He’d been reluctant to have responsibility of Nash and Knox after the snake incident, but I figured it was best to just put him back on that horse to get over it. Even though it took quite a bit of time, he was comfortable with watching the boys once again.

“The rest of y’all are to help me in the fields.” I pointed a finger at Charlotte as soon as she started to protest. “You’re driving the tractor, so don’t even start with your whining.”

She pouted out her bottom lip, but that was that.

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After a quick lunch of bologna sandwiches and freshly sliced watermelon, we loaded up in the Silver Bullet and headed to town.

“Why we stopping here?” Peg grumbled in the back as I pulled up to the curb at the funeral home.

I climbed out and told him before shutting the door, “Today I’m making the last payment on the car. I won’t be but a second, so sit tight.”